Esplanade's Huayi festival marks its 20th year with theatre and a film double bill

SINGAPORE - The Esplanade's Huayi - Chinese Festival of Arts returns for its 20th edition with powerhouse home-grown commissions and film screenings.

It will run in hybrid form with on-site programmes from Feb 11 to 20 and online programmes till March 6.

Nine Years Theatre's co-founder, writer-director Nelson Chia, has created an original work, Between You And Me, about a mother and her relationships with her three daughters.

The show is a departure from Chia's usual Western-inspired stories, as it is set in contemporary Singapore. It features a powerhouse cast of Singapore actors, including Goh Guat Kian, Mia Chee, Jean Ng and Sharon Au.

Esplanade's senior producer Delvin Lee, 42, says: "We first commissioned Nelson in 2012 when he hadn't set up his company yet. It has been 10 years and it's very meaningful to commission him again for his first production in the Esplanade Theatre."

While the festival is unable to programme overseas acts, another main-stage attraction is Hong Kong company Zuni Icosehedron's double bill.

The first, Reading Dreams, Talking Narratives, is a film inspired by famed Ming dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu, which delves into the world of Kun opera.

Mr Lee notes Singapore audiences have not been able to watch overseas opera companies for two years because of the pandemic. "In this movie, you can hear from the opera masters and there are also excerpts from Kun opera performed by Zuni and the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre."

Zuni's other offering is Read Sing Eileen Chang, a record of the company's debut live-streaming experiment featuring storytelling and songs inspired by Chinese novelist Eileen Chang's works.

Mr Lee adds that this is the first time Huayi is programming films as part of its main stage offerings.

Another first can be found in the kids-friendly production Karung Guni Boy. Adapted from Lorraine Tan and Eric Wong's children's book, this show features a Singapore Sign Language interpreter as an integral member of the cast.

Mr Lee says: "Usually the person signing the show is at one corner of the stage. In this show she is part of the ensemble and has a big role to play. So deaf audiences can come watch the show together with hearing kids."

The show was developed in consultation with The Singapore Association for the Deaf.

Karung Guni Boy is also a relaxed show which can accommodate children on the spectrum, and those with sensory or communication conditions.

Music fans can look forward to both classical and pop programmes. Ding Yi Music Company's 5lements is a Chinese chamber music piece written by renowned composer Tang Jianping. Cellist Leslie Tan will be performing with the group and Toy Factory's artistic director Goh Boon Teck is directing the production.

XingPop 2.0 is a followup to the XingPop concert held as part of the Esplanade's opening festival in 2002. It will showcase the progress of the pop scene in the past two decades with performances by home-grown talents such as Nathan Hartono and The Freshman.

Ticket sales open on Dec 20 for Esplanade & Me cardholders and on Dec 21 for the public.

Where: Esplanade Theatres on the Bay

When: Feb 11 to March 6, 2022

Admission: From $18 for ticketed events. Free for some programmes.